Marquee train Vande Bharat breaks down

NEW DELHI: Indian Railways’ Vande Bharat Express, the staterun transporter’s first semi-high speed train, broke down early on Saturday on the return journey to New Delhi from Varanasi, a day after it was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a day before its first commercial run. The breakdown, and a resultant three-hour delay, may have been caused by either stray cattle or an object coming under the train’s wheels,officials said.

But Vande Bharat’s first commercial journey will take place as scheduled on Sunday, the railway ministry said. Tickets for the journey on the train, which can reach a top speed of 180kmph, have already been sold out. On its inaugural run on Friday, the train touched a top speed of 130 kmph.

“India’s first semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express successfully completed its inaugural run from Delhi to Varanasi on February 15 and is scheduled to start commercial run on Sunday from New Delhi,” railway ministry spokesperson Smita Vats Sharma said in a statement.

The engine-less train, which runs on electric traction and formerly called Train 18, was on its way back from Varanasi when the breakdown took place near Tundla, around 200 km from Delhi.

“Due to some object coming under the train’s wheel, the communication system of the last coach broke down affecting the train’s control management system, which stopped working,” said a senior railway ministry official. “The safety system of the train is such that an automatic brake gets activated whenever some system stops working.”

A few journalists and railway staff were on board when the snag occurred. According to those on board, there was a loud sound and the power systems in the last four coaches died.

THE BREAKDOWN MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY EITHER STRAY CATTLE OR AN OBJECT COMING UNDER THE TRAIN’S WHEELS, OFFICIALS SAID